Improvement in rail-joints



` 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.,

C. LEWIS.

^ Rail-Joint.

?Ptentved luly 23.18.8. l,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTOPHER LEIVIS, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAIL-JOINTS.

Speclieatiou .forming part of Letters Patent N0. 206,337, dated July 23,1973; application filed April 23, 1878.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRIsToPi-IER LEWIS, o1" Columbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Joints; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in railway-joints 5 the object being to provide a joint of such construction that a continuous and even bearin g for the treads of car-wheels shall be formed at the adjacent or meeting ends ofthe rails, and thus prevent the pounding or battering of the rail ends and jolting ofthe ears incident to the employment of the ordinary construction of railwayjoints.

Heretofore the web portions of two adjacent rails have been. formed with elongated slots or openings, within which was placed a plate, the edges of which projected slightly from the sides of the webs and fitted within grooves formed on the inner faces of the splice-bars. The splice-bars were secured in place by means of bolts eXtendin g through enlarged openings formed in the web portions on opposite ends of the supporting-plate.

My invention consists in the combination, with the adjacent ends of two rails having elongated slots or openings formed in their web portions, of a removable supporting-plate provided with lateral bearings, which project through openings formed in the splice-bars, and extend out flush with the outer surfaces ot' said bars, and suitable bolts extending through separate openings in the opposite ends of the splice-bars, whereby the supportin g-plate imparts a support to the joint equal in width to the thickness of the web and both splice-bars, and the latter are secured to the rails at any desired distance from the ends thereof, irrespective of the length of the supporting-plate.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved railway-joint. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section, and Fig. 3 a longitudinal horizontal section, of the same. Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken through the center ot' the supporting-bar, and Fig. 5

is a detached view ofthe several parts of the joint.

A A represent the adjacent ends of two main rails of a track. The webs B have rectangular openings C C formed therein for the reception of a supporting-bar, D, of Greekcross form, the ends a a of which are supported in the openings C C. rlhe end portions c a are of the same thickness as the webs ofthe rails, so that the outer surfaces of said supporting-bar, when in place, shall be flush with the web surfaces of the rails. The central portion of the supporting-bar D is provided with lateral bearings E, which are supported in correspondingly-shaped openings F, formed in the splice-bars G. Bolts Il extend through the ends of the splice-bars and through the webs of the rails. Suicient longitudinal movement of the rails to allow for the contraction and expansion of the rails is provided ior by making one ot' the bolt-holes b in the web of the rail ot rectangular or oblon g form, whereby the rails may have a limited en dwisc movement, as above specified. Splicebars Gr fit snugly against the webs of the rails, and have a iirm bearing beneath the tread and upon the anges of the rails. As the car-wheel reaches the extreme end ot` the rail the weight of the car will be supported, not only by the rail on which the wheel is located, but also by the adjacent rail, as the weight is transferred to the opposite rail by means of the supporting-bar, which has a irin bearing in the adjacent ends of both of the rails, and also by the splice-bars, which overlap the rail-joints, and constitute a firm bearing for the lateral projection of the supportingbar at a point between the ends of the rails.

It will be observed that all the several parts of the joint can be manufactured by rolling, and hence can be supplied to the trade at a small initial cost.

When it is desired to renew a splieebar or arail the parts composing the joint can be readily separated by simply removing the bolts which hold the splice-bars in place.

Having fully described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination with the ad'acent ends of two rails, the same hzwing,` longitudinal open- In testimony that I ela-ini the foregoing I ings formed in their web portions7 of L suphave hereunto set iny hand.

porting-bur of Greek-cross forni, the ends a a of which are equal in Width to that of the webs CHRISTOPHER LFVIS. of the rails in which they rest7 While the sides E E project through the splice-bars, the ends Witnesses:

thereof being flush with the outer surfaces of FRANK GALT,

said splice-hars, substantially as set forth. .TNO.` I). PA'ITEN. 

